The Flip Hybrid Diapering System is perhaps the perfect diapering system with which to end my time as a cloth diaper reviewer. This is because it has me going back to a cloth diaper that I tried before and didn’t like. But I know the truth: I gave up on it too quickly, and I didn’t have the full “Flip” experience.
So when I had the opportunity to try out Flip diapers again, and this time the right way, I knew I needed to give them another chance. After all, they are some of the most popular cloth diapers on the market. My dislike was quite unusual! Since Layah is already on the road to potty training, I feel confident that this will be the last cloth diaper I will review, and what better way to end this season of my life than by returning to the one type of diaper I couldn’t really get into before.
Flip Diapers
So what are Flip diapers? They are a hybrid diapering system designed for maximum flexibility. They are sold in various components. First, you have your covers. Pictured below are two of the four covers I received, in colors noodle and grasshopper. Covers are one size, with adjustable snaps along the front. They come in hook and loop (velcro) or snaps. I would recommend getting the snaps because they don’t wear out as fast, and because babies have a harder time figuring out how to take them off.
The next component is the stay dry inserts. You simply lay these inside the diaper shell for use, and they are very easy to remove and replace. The idea is that unless you’ve got a messy diaper on your hands, you can use the diaper shell multiple times and just switch out the inserts. This was an idea I could never fully appreciate with the one Flip diaper I owned, and that’s because I purchased it with only one insert! Now that I’ve actually tried out the Flip concept as it was intended, I find it to be very easy to reuse the inserts as long as you have your available replacement inserts close at hand. I also LOVE that the inserts have marks on them to show you where you should fold them for small and medium sizes. They take out the guess-work! Inserts are also available in organic cotton. My personal opinion is to go for the stay dry unless your baby has super sensitive skin and doesn’t do well with microfiber. Why is that my opinion? Well, prior to this review, the one insert that I did have was the organic one, and while it was absorbent, it also felt more damp on the baby’s skin, which wasn’t as comfortable.
Additionally, Flip offers disposable inserts, which I had never tried before. Let me tell you why I love these so much! These are absolutely perfect for when you are out and about. When you change baby’s diaper, you just toss the old insert, and lay in a new one. The inserts take up less room in the diaper bag than a cloth diaper, and even less than a disposable! I also think they are great for anyone who might be taking care of your child for you (babysitter, grandmother, day care provider) and who is just getting used to the idea of using cloth diapers. This is sort of a happy mix of reusable and disposable.
But what I love the disposable inserts the most for is using when I suspect that Layah might be about to poop. Sorry if that is TMI, but I think all parents know that our life revolves around pee and poop for a certain number of years. That’s just the way it is! Anyway, if I time it right and Layah poops while wearing a disposable insert, that means that I can just toss the insert and not have to deal with nearly as much mess with the diaper sprayer. And that, my friends, is a WIN!
So now that I have given Flip diapers a fair shake and used them exactly the way that they were intended, I have to say that I like them! I’m not madly in love, but they are in regular rotation now, and I’m even using the same shell more than once before replacing it. That is cutting down on my cloth diaper wash load, and I REALLY love that!
Have you ever tried Flip diapers? Or hybrid cloth diapering, in general? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Annie says
The flexibility of this diaper is outstanding. I wish they would market more fiber types to customize the absorbency, as that is what has really made these diapers great. By adding other fiber types and inserts from other diaper systems we can make a diaper that will comfortably last our babe 2-12 hrs. My daycare provider happily uses them and has only positive feedback about them, and baby sitters have done great with them. I would highly recommend these to anyone considering cloth diapers. I started with 4 covers to be sure I like them, and now I have 12 covers which is perfect for full time use.
Alisa E says
We use the Flip system and LOVE it! I thought we were going to want pocket diapers but when a friend donated some of both kinds to our family, we fell in love with the Flips. I love that you don’t have to change the whole diaper every time, but can just change the stay dry inserts. Our last sitter preferred to use the pocket diapers which we understood to be because she did not want to touch the insert. But it doesn’t bother my husband or myself and we LOVE the money we save not buying disposable anything, and the added benefit of environmental friendliness. Its so easy when we are out to just stick the insert into a wet bag that we strap on to the diaper bag. I understand that you can even use an additional hemp insert when your baby needs extra absorbency but our baby is not that big yet. We do use disposable diapers at night because they hold so much more and out little angle sleeps 11-12 hrs a night.
Alisa E says
Oh and I also think they leak less than the pocket diapers for our daughter.
Laura says
I have two flip diapers in my stash for the future. I’ve always been a little confused by them, but this review has been very helpful. I think it’s great that they offer disposable inserts, too. Cool!
Tiffany says
So glad it helped!
Camille says
That’s so cool! So you can use the disposables when you’re on the run or in a hurry. Neat.
Linda Bradshaw says
This is cool. To be able to do disposable while out or with family who don’t know about cloth diapering. I never thought about how a friend or family member would be with regular cloth diapers.
Debby Chandler says
I’m going to have to tell my son and his wife about the Flip Diapers. Disposable diapers are just so expensive not to mention how bad they are for the environment.